Display device and container for merchandise



M. HILLIARD 5 DISPLAY DEVIQE AND CONTAINER FOR MERCHANDISE Filed April 21, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l WWII Q7 ,3

INVENTOR ATTORN EY Aug. 21, 1934. w. M. HILLIARD 1,971,258

DISPLAY DEVICE AND CONTAINER FOR MERCHANDISE Filed April 21, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 M 4? If m INVENTOR ATTORN EY Patented Aug. 21, 1934 Parent Fries;

DISPLAY DEVICE AND CONTAINER FOR MERCHANDISE Walter M. Hilliard, Framingham, Mass, assignor to Dennison Manufacturing Company, Framingham, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 21, 1933, Serial No. 667,283

'7 Claims.

The object of the invention is to provide a display rack on which merchantable commodities susceptible of display by suspension may be readily supported and readily removed therefrom singly as sold; to provide a display rack and sup porting medium together with a container therefor in which the supporting medium may be read ily disposed; to provide means in connection with thecontainer which is adapted to engage suspension elements of the rack to prevent movement thereof when the container is closed; and generally to provide a device of the kind indicated which is of simple form and susceptible of cheap manufacture.

With this object in view, the invention consists in a construction and combination of parts of which a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accompanying drawings but to which embodiment the invention is not to be restricted. Con- 29 tinned use in practice may dictate certain changes or alterations and the right is claimed to make any which fall within the scope of the annexed claims.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the invention with the container cover removed.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view with the cover in position.

, Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view 30 with the cover in position.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the platform blank.

Figure 5 is a plan view of the display rack.

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the chopped rim for supporting the rack platform.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of the lid or cover filler.

The container 10 and the cover 11 are made of any suitable material, such as fiber, metal, etc. The two are complemental and may or may not be of identical form as shown. If identical, the cover and the container are interchangeable in function, since the display rack 12 and its supporting platform 13 are arranged to be removable.

The platform is constructed from sheet material, initially in the form of the blank indicated in Figure 4, the blank being scored, as indicated at 14, so that the marginal portions 15 and 16 ,may be turned down at right angles to the plat- 50 form to provide means for supporting the latter above the bottom of the container. When the platform is disposed in the container, these marginal portions 15 and 16 abut the inner surfaces of the container walls and the platform is supported above the upper edge of the container,

so that the cover may be set down into its position of closure by being slipped over the platform.

An opening-17 of comparatively great area is formed in the platform by slitting the latter on the lines indicated at 18 and 19 and scoring 'it on the line indicated at 20, thus providing a tongue portion 21 which is turned downwardly toward the bottom of the container.

The marginal portions 15 and 16 when turned downwardly to their right-angular positions'with reference to the platform are unattached to each other at their contiguous edges, but they are maintained in their proper positions by what isknown as a chopped rim 22, the latter consisting of a strip of material folded into the loop form shown in Figure Band disposed below the platform in the container where it is in lateral contact with the inner faces of the marginal portions 15 and 16. V

The extremities of the chopped rim are secured together by gummed tape or the like, as indicated at 23.

The display rack 12 is formed of a piece of sheet material having the characteristics of resiliency, this rack being secured to the platform by fasteners, as indicated at 24. The rack comprises a series of spaced resilient fingers 25 which span the opening 17 of the platform, these fingersb'eing formed by slotting the plate of which the rack is formed inwardly from one of its longitudinal edges, so that the fingers at one end are free. The free ends of the fingers bear on the platform adjacent the fold line 20 of the tongue 21 with the latter.

In displaying articles for sale, such as safety pins, or equivalent articles which may be carried on the fingers, they are slipped over the latter as indicated in Figure 2 of the drawings and may readily be removed simply by pulling them from their positions on the fingers, the latter yielding upwardly to permit them to slip off the free ends of the fingers.

Disposed in the cover is a filler formed from sheet material secured to the cover and folded downwardly as indicated at 26 and then upwardly as indicated at 27, the longitudinal edges of the upward portions 27 being seated in the corners of the cover. When the cover is attached, the filler at the bend between the downturned portions 26 and the upturned portions 2'7 bears on the fingers at their free ends as well as those ends which are connected with the rack, thus holding the free ends of the fingers in contact with the platform and preventing them from being swung away from the latter with the possibility of release of the supported articles.

The tongue 21 functions as a guard to prevent articles hung on the fingers from swinging under the platform where the free ends of the fingers engage the same. This tends to keep the supported articles away from the free edges of the fingers and at the same time to give them a slight inclination such as they assume in being withdrawn from the fingers.

The invention having been described, what is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a platform consisting of a plate formed with an opening of comparatively large area and means for holding it in spaced relation to a supporting surface, and a rack formed with a plurality of resilient fingers spanning said opening, the rack being secured to the plate with the fingers unattached to the latter at their outer ends.

2. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a container and cover therefor, a platform disposed in the container in contact with the inner surfaces of the Walls thereof and formed with an opening of comparatively large area, and a rack disposed on the platform and provided with a series of spaced resilient fingers spanning said opening and anchored to the platform at one side of the opening but bearing yieldingly against the platform at the opposite side of said opening.

3. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a container and a cover therefor, a platform formed of sheet material turned down at its edges and throughout its perimeter, the platform being of the contour of the container and the downturned portions abutting the inner faces of the Walls of the container, the platform being formed with an opening of comparatively large area, and a display rack secured to the platform and provided with a plurality of spaced resilient fingers spanning said opening.

4. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a container and a cover therefor, a platform formed of sheet material turned down at its edges and throughout its perimeter, the platform being of the contour of the container and the downturned portions abutting theinner faces of the walls of the container, the platform being formed with an opening of comparatively large area, and a display rack secured to the platform and provided with a plurality of spaced resilient fingers spanning said opening, the platform consisting of a plate having resilient properties and the fingers being formed by slotting the plate transversely from one of its longitudinal edges.

5. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a container and a cover therefor, a platform of the contour of the container and formed from a piece of sheet material with downturned marginal portions seated in the container in contact with the inner surfaces of the walls thereof, a chopped rim disposed in the container in contact with the inner surfaces of the downturned portions, the platform being formed with an opening, and a display rack comprising a plurality y of spaced resilient fingers spanning said opening.

6. A device for the purpose indicated comprising a container and a cover therefor, a platform of the contour of the container and formedfrom a piece of sheet material with downturned marginal portions seated in the container in contact with the inner surfaces of the walls thereof, a chopped rim disposed in the container in contact with the inner surfaces of the downturned portions, the platform being formed with an opening, and a display rack comprising a plurality of spaced resilient fingers spanning said opening, and a filler in the cover to engage the extremities of the fingers when the cover is attached to hold 1e free ends of the fingers in contact with the platform.

'7. A device of the kind indicated comprising a platform and means for supporting the same in spaced relation to a supporting surface, the platform being formed with a centrally disposed opening of comparatively great area by slitting it on lines parallel to all but one of its edges to leave a connected tongue portion, and a rack consisting of a plate secured to the platform and slotted from one of its edges to provide a series of spaced resilient fingers spanning said opening with the fingers bearing on the platform at that edge of the opening to which the tongue is attached.

WALTER HILLI ARD. 

